The book examines the various sources, distinctive forms, privileged recipients, and likely extent of almsgiving in the churches of the later empire. Almsgiving was crucial in the construction of the ...
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The book examines the various sources, distinctive forms, privileged recipients, and likely extent of almsgiving in the churches of the later empire. Almsgiving was crucial in the construction of the bishop's authority, but was also a cooperative task involving clerics and laity in which honour was shared and which exposed the bishop to criticism. Almsgiving by monks belongs in the context of self-dispossession and attracted further alms for distribution to the destitute, but proved controversial not least because of the potential for competition with bishops. Lay people were encouraged to give, at set times and in particular places, both through the Church's agency and directly to the poor. These practices gained meaning from the promotion of almsgiving in many forms, of which preaching was the most important. It involved redescription of the poor and the incorporation of almsgiving within the virtues of generosity and justice. So cast, Christian almsgiving differed from pagan almsgiving as an honourable benefaction typical of leadership. This distinctive pattern of thought and conduct existed alongside an older classical pattern of benefaction, and the interaction between them generated controversy over the conduct of bishops and consecrated virgins. The co-inherence of co-operation and competition in Christian almsgiving, together with the continued existence of traditional euergetism, meant, however, that Christian alms did not, as is sometimes thought, turn bishops into the megapatrons of their cities.Less

Almsgiving in the Later Roman Empire : Christian Promotion and Practice 313-450

Richard Finn OP

Published in print: 2006-02-23

The book examines the various sources, distinctive forms, privileged recipients, and likely extent of almsgiving in the churches of the later empire. Almsgiving was crucial in the construction of the bishop's authority, but was also a cooperative task involving clerics and laity in which honour was shared and which exposed the bishop to criticism. Almsgiving by monks belongs in the context of self-dispossession and attracted further alms for distribution to the destitute, but proved controversial not least because of the potential for competition with bishops. Lay people were encouraged to give, at set times and in particular places, both through the Church's agency and directly to the poor. These practices gained meaning from the promotion of almsgiving in many forms, of which preaching was the most important. It involved redescription of the poor and the incorporation of almsgiving within the virtues of generosity and justice. So cast, Christian almsgiving differed from pagan almsgiving as an honourable benefaction typical of leadership. This distinctive pattern of thought and conduct existed alongside an older classical pattern of benefaction, and the interaction between them generated controversy over the conduct of bishops and consecrated virgins. The co-inherence of co-operation and competition in Christian almsgiving, together with the continued existence of traditional euergetism, meant, however, that Christian alms did not, as is sometimes thought, turn bishops into the megapatrons of their cities.

This book explores anti-Chalcedonian asceticism in Palestine, an area that has so far been relatively neglected in academic studies. Anti-Chalcedonian asceticism in Palestine is significant because ...
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This book explores anti-Chalcedonian asceticism in Palestine, an area that has so far been relatively neglected in academic studies. Anti-Chalcedonian asceticism in Palestine is significant because it was in Jerusalem in the middle of the 5th century that monks who opposed the Council of Chalcedon first attempted to establish a dissenting anti-Chalcedonian ecclesiastical hierarchy. The monk Peter the Iberian, in particular, was a key force in this project because of his high-level political connections to the members of the imperial court in Constantinople. The beginnings of anti-Chalcedonian history in Palestine constitute the fist tangible manifestation of the schism between the adherents and opponents of the Council of Chalcedon, a schism which endures until today. This study also offers a further contribution in the field work carried out on site in the Middle East, which traced the footsteps of Peter the Iberian and his followers into the regions of modern Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Sinai/Egypt.Less

Asceticism and Christological Controversy in Fifth-Century Palestine : The Career of Peter the Iberian

Cornelia B. Horn

Published in print: 2006-03-09

This book explores anti-Chalcedonian asceticism in Palestine, an area that has so far been relatively neglected in academic studies. Anti-Chalcedonian asceticism in Palestine is significant because it was in Jerusalem in the middle of the 5th century that monks who opposed the Council of Chalcedon first attempted to establish a dissenting anti-Chalcedonian ecclesiastical hierarchy. The monk Peter the Iberian, in particular, was a key force in this project because of his high-level political connections to the members of the imperial court in Constantinople. The beginnings of anti-Chalcedonian history in Palestine constitute the fist tangible manifestation of the schism between the adherents and opponents of the Council of Chalcedon, a schism which endures until today. This study also offers a further contribution in the field work carried out on site in the Middle East, which traced the footsteps of Peter the Iberian and his followers into the regions of modern Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Sinai/Egypt.

This is the first full-length study of Gothic to be written from the perspective of Bakhtinian theory. The author uses Bakhtin's concepts of heteroglossia and dialogism in specific historical ...
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This is the first full-length study of Gothic to be written from the perspective of Bakhtinian theory. The author uses Bakhtin's concepts of heteroglossia and dialogism in specific historical analyses of key works of the genre. Her discussions of Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho, Matthew Lewis's The Monk, Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein demonstrate that the discursive ambiguity of these novels is not inherently subversive, but that the political force of particular discourses is contingent upon their interaction with other discourses in the reading process. This position enables the author to intervene in feminist discussions of Gothic, which have claimed it as a specifically female genre. The author suggests a way in which feminists can appropriate Bakhtin to make politically effective readings, while acknowledging that these readings do not exhaust the novels' possibilities of meaning and reception. Drawing on the most up-to-date debates in literary theory, this is a sophisticated and scholarly analysis of a genre that has consistently challenged literary criticism.Less

Reading Gothic Fiction : A Bakhtinian Approach

Jacqueline Howard

Published in print: 1994-04-07

This is the first full-length study of Gothic to be written from the perspective of Bakhtinian theory. The author uses Bakhtin's concepts of heteroglossia and dialogism in specific historical analyses of key works of the genre. Her discussions of Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho, Matthew Lewis's The Monk, Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein demonstrate that the discursive ambiguity of these novels is not inherently subversive, but that the political force of particular discourses is contingent upon their interaction with other discourses in the reading process. This position enables the author to intervene in feminist discussions of Gothic, which have claimed it as a specifically female genre. The author suggests a way in which feminists can appropriate Bakhtin to make politically effective readings, while acknowledging that these readings do not exhaust the novels' possibilities of meaning and reception. Drawing on the most up-to-date debates in literary theory, this is a sophisticated and scholarly analysis of a genre that has consistently challenged literary criticism.

Evagrius of Pontus (c.345–99) was one of the most prominent figures among the monks of the desert settlements of Nitria, Sketis, and Kellia in Lower Egypt. Through the course of his ascetic writings ...
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Evagrius of Pontus (c.345–99) was one of the most prominent figures among the monks of the desert settlements of Nitria, Sketis, and Kellia in Lower Egypt. Through the course of his ascetic writings he formulated a systematic presentation of the teaching of the semi-eremitic monks of these settlements. The works of Evagrius had a profound influence on Eastern Orthodox monastic teaching and passed to the West through the writings of John Cassian (c.365–435). This book provides an English translation of Evagrius' Greek ascetic writings, based on modern critical editions, where available, and, where they are not, on collations of the principal manuscripts. Two appendices provide variant readings for the Greek texts and the complete text of the long recension of Eulogios. The translations are accompanied by a commentary to guide the reader through the intricacies of Evagrian thought by offering explanatory comments and references to other Evagrian texts and relevant scholarly literature. Finally, detailed indexes are provided to allow the reader to identify and study the numerous themes of Evagrian teaching.Less

Evagrius of Pontus : The Greek Ascetic Corpus

Robert E. Sinkewicz

Published in print: 2003-07-24

Evagrius of Pontus (c.345–99) was one of the most prominent figures among the monks of the desert settlements of Nitria, Sketis, and Kellia in Lower Egypt. Through the course of his ascetic writings he formulated a systematic presentation of the teaching of the semi-eremitic monks of these settlements. The works of Evagrius had a profound influence on Eastern Orthodox monastic teaching and passed to the West through the writings of John Cassian (c.365–435). This book provides an English translation of Evagrius' Greek ascetic writings, based on modern critical editions, where available, and, where they are not, on collations of the principal manuscripts. Two appendices provide variant readings for the Greek texts and the complete text of the long recension of Eulogios. The translations are accompanied by a commentary to guide the reader through the intricacies of Evagrian thought by offering explanatory comments and references to other Evagrian texts and relevant scholarly literature. Finally, detailed indexes are provided to allow the reader to identify and study the numerous themes of Evagrian teaching.

This book studies the life and thought of the Christian monks of 4th- and 5th-century lower Egypt. It works from collections of their sayings and stories which were compiled in the late 5th century ...
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This book studies the life and thought of the Christian monks of 4th- and 5th-century lower Egypt. It works from collections of their sayings and stories which were compiled in the late 5th century and which are known collectively as the Apopthegmata Patrum. These texts show that the Desert Fathers were deeply concerned with the nature of the monastic community that they formed and with the problems which might affect relationships between individuals within it. Successive chapters of the book centre on the text of the Apopthegmata itself as a witness to the community's sense of its own history and identity; on the relationship between teacher and disciple in the context of which the practices and virtues of the monastic life were taught; on the importance of good relationships between a monk and his companions in the monastic life; on the problems of anger, judgement, and praise, which interfere with good relationships; on the tension between the desire for solitude and the necessity of interaction with others; and on the connection between relationships with others and a monk's own life of prayer. The overall conclusion is that the Desert Fathers saw community as an integral part of their monastic ideal and rarely regarded solitude as a way of life to be pursued at the expense of community.Less

The Desert Fathers on Monastic Community

Graham Gould

Published in print: 1993-04-15

This book studies the life and thought of the Christian monks of 4th- and 5th-century lower Egypt. It works from collections of their sayings and stories which were compiled in the late 5th century and which are known collectively as the Apopthegmata Patrum. These texts show that the Desert Fathers were deeply concerned with the nature of the monastic community that they formed and with the problems which might affect relationships between individuals within it. Successive chapters of the book centre on the text of the Apopthegmata itself as a witness to the community's sense of its own history and identity; on the relationship between teacher and disciple in the context of which the practices and virtues of the monastic life were taught; on the importance of good relationships between a monk and his companions in the monastic life; on the problems of anger, judgement, and praise, which interfere with good relationships; on the tension between the desire for solitude and the necessity of interaction with others; and on the connection between relationships with others and a monk's own life of prayer. The overall conclusion is that the Desert Fathers saw community as an integral part of their monastic ideal and rarely regarded solitude as a way of life to be pursued at the expense of community.

The human propensity to take an ethical stance toward oneself and others is found in every known society, yet we also know that values taken for granted in one society can contradict those in ...
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The human propensity to take an ethical stance toward oneself and others is found in every known society, yet we also know that values taken for granted in one society can contradict those in another. Does ethical life arise from human nature itself? Is it a universal human trait? Or is it a product of one's cultural and historical context? This book offers a new approach to the empirical study of ethical life that reconciles these questions, showing how ethics arise at the intersection of human biology and social dynamics. Drawing on the latest findings in psychology, conversational interaction, ethnography, and history, the book takes readers from inner city America to Samoa and the Inuit Arctic to reveal how we are creatures of our biology as well as our history—and how our ethical lives are contingent on both. The book looks at Melanesian theories of mind and the training of Buddhist monks, and discusses important social causes such as the British abolitionist movement and American feminism. It explores how styles of child rearing, notions of the person, and moral codes in different communities elaborate on certain basic human tendencies while suppressing or ignoring others. Certain to provoke debate, the book presents an entirely new way of thinking about ethics, morals, and the factors that shape them.Less

Ethical Life : Its Natural and Social Histories

Webb Keane

Published in print: 2015-10-06

The human propensity to take an ethical stance toward oneself and others is found in every known society, yet we also know that values taken for granted in one society can contradict those in another. Does ethical life arise from human nature itself? Is it a universal human trait? Or is it a product of one's cultural and historical context? This book offers a new approach to the empirical study of ethical life that reconciles these questions, showing how ethics arise at the intersection of human biology and social dynamics. Drawing on the latest findings in psychology, conversational interaction, ethnography, and history, the book takes readers from inner city America to Samoa and the Inuit Arctic to reveal how we are creatures of our biology as well as our history—and how our ethical lives are contingent on both. The book looks at Melanesian theories of mind and the training of Buddhist monks, and discusses important social causes such as the British abolitionist movement and American feminism. It explores how styles of child rearing, notions of the person, and moral codes in different communities elaborate on certain basic human tendencies while suppressing or ignoring others. Certain to provoke debate, the book presents an entirely new way of thinking about ethics, morals, and the factors that shape them.

This introductory chapter begins with a description of the main focus of this study, namely the career of Peter the Iberian, drawing on the extant historical, literary, and hagiographical sources. ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a description of the main focus of this study, namely the career of Peter the Iberian, drawing on the extant historical, literary, and hagiographical sources. Peter the Iberian is introduced as a key figure in the Christological controversies and as one of the most influential ascetic leaders of the anti-Chalcedonian movement in 5th-century Palestine. An overview of the chapters included in this volume is presented.Less

Introduction

Cornelia B. Horn

Published in print: 2006-03-09

This introductory chapter begins with a description of the main focus of this study, namely the career of Peter the Iberian, drawing on the extant historical, literary, and hagiographical sources. Peter the Iberian is introduced as a key figure in the Christological controversies and as one of the most influential ascetic leaders of the anti-Chalcedonian movement in 5th-century Palestine. An overview of the chapters included in this volume is presented.

This chapter shows that Abba Isaiah and Philoxenus of Mabbugh were influential contributors to anti-Chalcedonian theological and ascetico-spiritual perspectives in Palestine. They provided an ...
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This chapter shows that Abba Isaiah and Philoxenus of Mabbugh were influential contributors to anti-Chalcedonian theological and ascetico-spiritual perspectives in Palestine. They provided an immediate context for the theology and spirituality of Peter the Iberian, John Rufus, and their anti-Chalcedonian ascetic followers in the Gaza area. The importance of the Cross in the spiritual theology of these two teachers and leaders is discussed.Less

The Sign of Perfection: The Anti‐Chalcedonian Ascetic as Bearer of the Cross

Cornelia B. Horn

Published in print: 2006-03-09

This chapter shows that Abba Isaiah and Philoxenus of Mabbugh were influential contributors to anti-Chalcedonian theological and ascetico-spiritual perspectives in Palestine. They provided an immediate context for the theology and spirituality of Peter the Iberian, John Rufus, and their anti-Chalcedonian ascetic followers in the Gaza area. The importance of the Cross in the spiritual theology of these two teachers and leaders is discussed.

This chapter reflects on the significance and the lessons of Cassian's work. It provides the answer to the question of why Cassian put such an effort into his strategies to win a hearing for his ...
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This chapter reflects on the significance and the lessons of Cassian's work. It provides the answer to the question of why Cassian put such an effort into his strategies to win a hearing for his works. What Cassian wrote would prove far too difficult for much of his target audience. His programme of renunciation aimed to strip the monk of self-centred attachments and identities, to destroy all conceptions of secular rank and hierarchies. Anything that could be pointed to with pride, anything that divided, was to be torn away. Cassian aimed his work at an audience drawn from the elite stratum of Gallic society. These were men of rank and prestige, the best men of a vanishing Roman order. Where other writers had offered models that attempted to integrate the old order with a new ascetic lifestyle, Cassian challenged societal norms that had existed for centuries.Less

Conclusion

Richard J. Goodrich

Published in print: 2007-08-02

This chapter reflects on the significance and the lessons of Cassian's work. It provides the answer to the question of why Cassian put such an effort into his strategies to win a hearing for his works. What Cassian wrote would prove far too difficult for much of his target audience. His programme of renunciation aimed to strip the monk of self-centred attachments and identities, to destroy all conceptions of secular rank and hierarchies. Anything that could be pointed to with pride, anything that divided, was to be torn away. Cassian aimed his work at an audience drawn from the elite stratum of Gallic society. These were men of rank and prestige, the best men of a vanishing Roman order. Where other writers had offered models that attempted to integrate the old order with a new ascetic lifestyle, Cassian challenged societal norms that had existed for centuries.

“The Unique Thelonius Monk” received excellent reviews. Nat Hentoff in “Down Beat” gave it “four and a half stars” because Monk remains “one of the insatiably, irrepressibly, and valuably individual ...
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“The Unique Thelonius Monk” received excellent reviews. Nat Hentoff in “Down Beat” gave it “four and a half stars” because Monk remains “one of the insatiably, irrepressibly, and valuably individual jazzmen in our era.” He “has an intense sense of drama (not melodrama) that can create a reflectively dissonant, almost hypnotic mood . . . and a sharply knifed penchant for shaping and reshaping a few key phrases into a hail of plunging aural mobiles.” Whitney Balliett from “The Saturday Review” called it “an essential record”. He said: “Monk's style—loose, almost diffident dissonances, wry single-note lines, a laggard-like beat—is easily plumbed. Here he winds his way . . . keeping the melody always just below the surface and embellishing it more than reworking its chords. . . .”Less

Monk Unique

Williams Martin

Published in print: 1993-09-30

“The Unique Thelonius Monk” received excellent reviews. Nat Hentoff in “Down Beat” gave it “four and a half stars” because Monk remains “one of the insatiably, irrepressibly, and valuably individual jazzmen in our era.” He “has an intense sense of drama (not melodrama) that can create a reflectively dissonant, almost hypnotic mood . . . and a sharply knifed penchant for shaping and reshaping a few key phrases into a hail of plunging aural mobiles.” Whitney Balliett from “The Saturday Review” called it “an essential record”. He said: “Monk's style—loose, almost diffident dissonances, wry single-note lines, a laggard-like beat—is easily plumbed. Here he winds his way . . . keeping the melody always just below the surface and embellishing it more than reworking its chords. . . .”

The third chapter focuses on non-Chalcedonian ‘Monks and Monasteries’ as a crucial factor for the establishment of the Syrian Orthodox Church. After the non-Chalcedonian bishops had left their sees, ...
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The third chapter focuses on non-Chalcedonian ‘Monks and Monasteries’ as a crucial factor for the establishment of the Syrian Orthodox Church. After the non-Chalcedonian bishops had left their sees, the monasteries remained the only institutional setting in which the non-Chalcedonian theological tradition and church life could have been preserved. The chapter collects the available data from the sources (printed as well as from manuscripts) in order to record information for every known non-Chalcedonian monastery. It analyses the special cases of Amida and Edessa where the monks resisted violently and compares them with the situation of other monasteries. Although the new Chalcedonian bishops also exiled non-Chalcedonian monks, a majority of the monks could stay in their monasteries and preserve the intellectual resources of the non-Chalcedonian tradition. In other words, John of Ephesus' dramatic picture of Chalcedonian persecutions of monks is cut to size so that we end up with a rather sober sense of politics of the possible in a pre-industrial autocracy.Less

Monks and Monasteries

Volker L. Menze

Published in print: 2008-07-01

The third chapter focuses on non-Chalcedonian ‘Monks and Monasteries’ as a crucial factor for the establishment of the Syrian Orthodox Church. After the non-Chalcedonian bishops had left their sees, the monasteries remained the only institutional setting in which the non-Chalcedonian theological tradition and church life could have been preserved. The chapter collects the available data from the sources (printed as well as from manuscripts) in order to record information for every known non-Chalcedonian monastery. It analyses the special cases of Amida and Edessa where the monks resisted violently and compares them with the situation of other monasteries. Although the new Chalcedonian bishops also exiled non-Chalcedonian monks, a majority of the monks could stay in their monasteries and preserve the intellectual resources of the non-Chalcedonian tradition. In other words, John of Ephesus' dramatic picture of Chalcedonian persecutions of monks is cut to size so that we end up with a rather sober sense of politics of the possible in a pre-industrial autocracy.

Chapter 4 considers prasāda as praxis, and how beggars, gods, kings and monks engage with it, try to engage with it, or ignore it. A close reading of the four parts of the Nagarāvalambikā-avadāna, is ...
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Chapter 4 considers prasāda as praxis, and how beggars, gods, kings and monks engage with it, try to engage with it, or ignore it. A close reading of the four parts of the Nagarāvalambikā-avadāna, is offered in an attempt to explain who it is that can and cannot make offerings within the prasāda paradigm and why that is the case. The issue of the agency of prasāda is then discusses as well as its significance for Buddhist ethics. An individual’s karma is represented as a closed system in the Divyāvadāna, and only an outside agent can generate a karmic intrusion that will allow one to escape from one’s karmic destiny and the inevitable suffering of saṃsāra. Prasāda is just such a force, and it allows one to escape one’s fate and embark on the Buddhist path toward liberation.Less

Participation and Exclusion

Andy Rotman

Published in print: 2008-11-19

Chapter 4 considers prasāda as praxis, and how beggars, gods, kings and monks engage with it, try to engage with it, or ignore it. A close reading of the four parts of the Nagarāvalambikā-avadāna, is offered in an attempt to explain who it is that can and cannot make offerings within the prasāda paradigm and why that is the case. The issue of the agency of prasāda is then discusses as well as its significance for Buddhist ethics. An individual’s karma is represented as a closed system in the Divyāvadāna, and only an outside agent can generate a karmic intrusion that will allow one to escape from one’s karmic destiny and the inevitable suffering of saṃsāra. Prasāda is just such a force, and it allows one to escape one’s fate and embark on the Buddhist path toward liberation.

This chapter charts a variegated continuum between traditionalist and modernist Buddhists by providing five composite profiles of Buddhists: a British “Buddhist sympathizer,” a traditional Thai ...
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This chapter charts a variegated continuum between traditionalist and modernist Buddhists by providing five composite profiles of Buddhists: a British “Buddhist sympathizer,” a traditional Thai laywoman, an American dharma teacher, a Tibetan monk, and an Asian modernizer. It then discusses three processes by which modernization has taken place in Buddhism: detraditionalization, whereby authority is internalized and shifted from institutions to individuals; demythologization, in which elements of traditional cosmology, such as the six realms of rebirth, are re-interpreted as mental states; and psychologization, in which unseen beings are translated into psychological phenomena and, more generally, Buddhism comes to be interpreted in terms of western psychology.Less

The Spectrum of Tradition and Modernism

David L. McMahan

Published in print: 2009-02-01

This chapter charts a variegated continuum between traditionalist and modernist Buddhists by providing five composite profiles of Buddhists: a British “Buddhist sympathizer,” a traditional Thai laywoman, an American dharma teacher, a Tibetan monk, and an Asian modernizer. It then discusses three processes by which modernization has taken place in Buddhism: detraditionalization, whereby authority is internalized and shifted from institutions to individuals; demythologization, in which elements of traditional cosmology, such as the six realms of rebirth, are re-interpreted as mental states; and psychologization, in which unseen beings are translated into psychological phenomena and, more generally, Buddhism comes to be interpreted in terms of western psychology.

This chapter examines Augustine's thoughts on singleness via salvation history. Many have held, following Paul in 1 Corinthians 7, that celibacy is the better state of life for Christians, and the ...
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This chapter examines Augustine's thoughts on singleness via salvation history. Many have held, following Paul in 1 Corinthians 7, that celibacy is the better state of life for Christians, and the state of life Christ demonstrates through his own life, death, and resurrection. Celibacy thus becomes intertwined with the salvation event of redemption. Augustine follows to a point but also counters those who would see that the simple fact of being celibate makes one holy. Augustine insists that Christian life is ultimately about virtuous living; one can cultivate those virtues whether married or celibate. Furthermore, Augustine discusses states of life such as divorce, suggesting that singleness is not just one state of life but several: widows, divorcees, celibates (monks and virgins), and the unmarried all figure. This chapter concludes by using Augustine's views to consider the false contemporary dichotomy between marriage and singleness, the second dichotomy raised in chapter 1.Less

Neither Married nor Given in Marriage : Singleness and Salvation History

Jana Marguerite Bennett

Published in print: 2008-03-20

This chapter examines Augustine's thoughts on singleness via salvation history. Many have held, following Paul in 1 Corinthians 7, that celibacy is the better state of life for Christians, and the state of life Christ demonstrates through his own life, death, and resurrection. Celibacy thus becomes intertwined with the salvation event of redemption. Augustine follows to a point but also counters those who would see that the simple fact of being celibate makes one holy. Augustine insists that Christian life is ultimately about virtuous living; one can cultivate those virtues whether married or celibate. Furthermore, Augustine discusses states of life such as divorce, suggesting that singleness is not just one state of life but several: widows, divorcees, celibates (monks and virgins), and the unmarried all figure. This chapter concludes by using Augustine's views to consider the false contemporary dichotomy between marriage and singleness, the second dichotomy raised in chapter 1.

The historical Buddha insisted on celibacy for monks and nuns because suffering was caused by ignorant craving and because sexual relations encouraged attachment to the world. Both functioned as ...
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The historical Buddha insisted on celibacy for monks and nuns because suffering was caused by ignorant craving and because sexual relations encouraged attachment to the world. Both functioned as obstacles to mental concentration. Monastic rules helped one to comprehend the reason for the essential role of celibacy in the quest for liberation. Buddhist practice became more complex with later developments, such as Tibetan Buddhism, which witnessed some schools insisting on celibacy, while others allowed sexual intercourse within a ritualistic context for advanced practitioners, and other schools approved a married clergy.Less

Celibacy in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism

John Powers

Published in print: 2007-11-01

The historical Buddha insisted on celibacy for monks and nuns because suffering was caused by ignorant craving and because sexual relations encouraged attachment to the world. Both functioned as obstacles to mental concentration. Monastic rules helped one to comprehend the reason for the essential role of celibacy in the quest for liberation. Buddhist practice became more complex with later developments, such as Tibetan Buddhism, which witnessed some schools insisting on celibacy, while others allowed sexual intercourse within a ritualistic context for advanced practitioners, and other schools approved a married clergy.

Chinese and Japanese Buddhism manifested a wide diversity of practice within a cultural context in which there were many obstacles to celibacy. The cultural image of Buddhism was harmed in China by ...
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Chinese and Japanese Buddhism manifested a wide diversity of practice within a cultural context in which there were many obstacles to celibacy. The cultural image of Buddhism was harmed in China by the misconduct of monks, critical literary figures, and the fabrication of stories about wayward monks for political reasons. With the advent of Japanese devotional movements, many Buddhists rejected celibacy in favor of marriage.Less

Celibacy in East Asian Buddhism

John Kieschnick

Published in print: 2007-11-01

Chinese and Japanese Buddhism manifested a wide diversity of practice within a cultural context in which there were many obstacles to celibacy. The cultural image of Buddhism was harmed in China by the misconduct of monks, critical literary figures, and the fabrication of stories about wayward monks for political reasons. With the advent of Japanese devotional movements, many Buddhists rejected celibacy in favor of marriage.

This book offers an unconventional study of one corner of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, weaving around the theme of conflict strands of distinct histories, and of peoples and places, ...
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This book offers an unconventional study of one corner of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, weaving around the theme of conflict strands of distinct histories, and of peoples and places, highlighting Palestine's polyethnicity and cultural, topographical, architectural, and religious diversity. During the period 300–650 CE, the fortunes of the ‘east’ and the ‘west’ were intimately linked. Thousands of westerners in the guise of pilgrims, pious monks, soldiers, and civilians flocked to what became a Christian holy land. This is the era that witnessed the transformation of Jerusalem from a sleepy Roman town built on the ruins of spectacular Herodian Jerusalem into an international centre of Christianity, and ultimately into a centre of Islamic worship. It was also a period of unparalleled prosperity for the frontier zones, and a time when religious experts were actively engaged in guiding their communities while contesting each other's rights to the Bible and its interpretation.Less

Palestine in Late Antiquity

Hagith Sivan

Published in print: 2008-02-14

This book offers an unconventional study of one corner of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, weaving around the theme of conflict strands of distinct histories, and of peoples and places, highlighting Palestine's polyethnicity and cultural, topographical, architectural, and religious diversity. During the period 300–650 CE, the fortunes of the ‘east’ and the ‘west’ were intimately linked. Thousands of westerners in the guise of pilgrims, pious monks, soldiers, and civilians flocked to what became a Christian holy land. This is the era that witnessed the transformation of Jerusalem from a sleepy Roman town built on the ruins of spectacular Herodian Jerusalem into an international centre of Christianity, and ultimately into a centre of Islamic worship. It was also a period of unparalleled prosperity for the frontier zones, and a time when religious experts were actively engaged in guiding their communities while contesting each other's rights to the Bible and its interpretation.

To reflect on the formation of landscapes in late antiquity, it is useful to start with mindscapes — the terrain of dreams and of dialogues beyond the limits of time and space. This chapter argues ...
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To reflect on the formation of landscapes in late antiquity, it is useful to start with mindscapes — the terrain of dreams and of dialogues beyond the limits of time and space. This chapter argues that within a specific Christian context, these mental visions generated topographical discourses that elevated designated localities out of their present and into a biblical past. Dreams gave a prefiguration and a legitimacy to all territorial expansion. The rise of the southern Sinai and of the summit of Jebel Musa to the rank of a holy mountain created a locus of sanctity with two categories of citizens — monks and pilgrims — and a third of non-citizens, the ‘Saracens’. An intense religious life and a dynamic relationship with nature and nomads dominated a search for sanctity and a desire to experience the Bible in a manner unmediated by layers of more recent history.Less

The Periphery of Dreams and Deserts

Hagith Sivan

Published in print: 2008-02-14

To reflect on the formation of landscapes in late antiquity, it is useful to start with mindscapes — the terrain of dreams and of dialogues beyond the limits of time and space. This chapter argues that within a specific Christian context, these mental visions generated topographical discourses that elevated designated localities out of their present and into a biblical past. Dreams gave a prefiguration and a legitimacy to all territorial expansion. The rise of the southern Sinai and of the summit of Jebel Musa to the rank of a holy mountain created a locus of sanctity with two categories of citizens — monks and pilgrims — and a third of non-citizens, the ‘Saracens’. An intense religious life and a dynamic relationship with nature and nomads dominated a search for sanctity and a desire to experience the Bible in a manner unmediated by layers of more recent history.

This chapter examines how purgatory was described and understood in the works of Bede and Boniface. Particular attention is given to Bede as the author of works in which purgatory was given ...
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This chapter examines how purgatory was described and understood in the works of Bede and Boniface. Particular attention is given to Bede as the author of works in which purgatory was given theological context and legitimation as orthodox belief. The chapter examines the role of friendship ties and gift-giving in Anglo-Saxon society and in the intercessory practices of Bede’s time. The chapter also considers the cultural and religious influences that informed Anglo-Saxon Christianity and explores the potential importance of Anglo-Saxon England’s close ties with eastern Christianity. Key texts discussed include Boniface’s Vision of the Monk of Wenlock and the works of Bede: the Vision of Drythelm, Homily for Advent, Commentary on Isaiah, and Commentary on Proverbs.Less

Purgatory in Bede and Boniface

Isabel Moreira

Published in print: 2010-11-17

This chapter examines how purgatory was described and understood in the works of Bede and Boniface. Particular attention is given to Bede as the author of works in which purgatory was given theological context and legitimation as orthodox belief. The chapter examines the role of friendship ties and gift-giving in Anglo-Saxon society and in the intercessory practices of Bede’s time. The chapter also considers the cultural and religious influences that informed Anglo-Saxon Christianity and explores the potential importance of Anglo-Saxon England’s close ties with eastern Christianity. Key texts discussed include Boniface’s Vision of the Monk of Wenlock and the works of Bede: the Vision of Drythelm, Homily for Advent, Commentary on Isaiah, and Commentary on Proverbs.

Buddhist accounts would normally portray administrators as those who are involved in certain unlawful acts and are undergoing karmic effects because of such wrongdoings. Many of these narratives can ...
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Buddhist accounts would normally portray administrators as those who are involved in certain unlawful acts and are undergoing karmic effects because of such wrongdoings. Many of these narratives can be traced to be related to historical accounts of the Vinaya corpora that account for wide-ranging administrative duties, various titles, and an assortment of possible offenses that can be related to such positions. Certain administrative monks are also tasked to accommodate and tend to the needs of visiting monks, a common theme evident in a number of writings. Some stories tell of how some monks believe that they have the right to some of the donations offered, and that the *āvāsika was allowed to disallow certain visitors. This chapter presents instances found in numerous Buddhist writings about how some monks or managers were able to abuse their power or push through with some practices that were illicit and frowned upon.Less

Misbehaving Managers

Jonathan A. Silk

Published in print: 2008-10-15

Buddhist accounts would normally portray administrators as those who are involved in certain unlawful acts and are undergoing karmic effects because of such wrongdoings. Many of these narratives can be traced to be related to historical accounts of the Vinaya corpora that account for wide-ranging administrative duties, various titles, and an assortment of possible offenses that can be related to such positions. Certain administrative monks are also tasked to accommodate and tend to the needs of visiting monks, a common theme evident in a number of writings. Some stories tell of how some monks believe that they have the right to some of the donations offered, and that the *āvāsika was allowed to disallow certain visitors. This chapter presents instances found in numerous Buddhist writings about how some monks or managers were able to abuse their power or push through with some practices that were illicit and frowned upon.